break my curse
by lanasmyfeather
Summary: Emma walks into Roni's. There are few twists but that's how it all starts.
1. Chapter 1

There was a lot of glass crunching under a black pair of heeled boots. Some of it was kicked under the bar in frustration, but most of it was still spread far and wide behind the counter. A deep sigh was let out before a broom was fetched from the corner and the cleaning of the mess began.

Roni muttered some curses out loud as she was cleaning up a second broken glass of the day. She was feeling really cranky for some reason and her mind was filled with business of the people around her. Often times she preferred it that way since if she dived too deep into her own thoughts... well, that often didn't end well. She had enough drinks during work hours as it was.

After she had refused the offer Victoria Belfrey had made of her bar, the business had picked up. She was a lot busier than she had been in months and she could say that she was really proud of herself. Also helping Henry and Officer Rogers to take down Victoria definitely made her feel really good. She was ready to kick some ass, quite literally if anyone asked her. She wasn't hiding a baseball bat behind the counter for nothing.

Several people came to order drinks after she finished cleaning up the shards of glass. Seeing the mess cleared made her feel much better and she was back at handing out drinks to her customers, many of which she knew by name.

Heights was quite of a small community. There weren't many bars around either so everyone ended up at Roni's at some point anyway. And when those systems got some alcohol in them, they were all about sharing their gossip and stories.

Under her almost cold exterior she presented to the world though, Roni felt such care for her community and the people in it. She wanted her bar to be a safe place for everyone to come and enjoy no matter the background or package they came with.

Roni walked among her customers, clearing some empty glasses and bottles from the tables. She returned back behind the bar to make a new patch of drinks when she felt the tell tale breeze of the door opening. She didn't look up right away, too focused on her mixing, until a swift of perfume found her nose.

It was something sweet, like vanilla, not too strong, but mysterious enough to make you curious. Which is why Roni lifted her gaze to her new customer.

If she wasn't at work, she would have definitely needed to sit down for a while because gods in heaven the woman in front of her was gorgeous. A long blonde hair was expertly braided to go around her head to form a crown. The striking green eyes were framed with tasteful amount of black but otherwise the woman seemed to be sporting a very natural look and with a face that beautiful, who would even need make up.

Giving the blonde goddess a quick once over, Roni was quite literally floored. The blonde was wearing a black strapless dress that was quite literally hugging every single curve the woman had, paired with a short leather jacket, matching the color of the dress.

Roni wasn't sure how long she had been staring at the woman, but at some point a throat was cleared and her eyes snapped back to the face of the blonde woman in front of her. She also suddenly remembered she had to go and take the drinks she had been making to the table.

Holding up a finger to signal a minute, she put all the drinks on a tray and walked as steadily as possible to the table where a group of four were happily chatting, having not noticed that their drinks took a while to arrive. Walking back to the bar, Roni tried to cool herself a little bit.

She had seen her fair share of beautiful men and women, but my god wasn't this woman something. Making her way behind the counter and turning towards the blonde, Roni plastered her signature grin on her face before asking. "Welcome to Roni's! What can I get ya?"

The blonde was looking her up and down like she had done just minutes ago to her. Roni was patiently waiting, knowing that the other woman was making an assumption of her and disturbing her might not be her best interest. Roni didn't really know what she was expecting but what the other woman said caught her off guard.

"Something that ends the week with a bang." her voice was beautiful, but there was something rough in it as she wiggled herself into the bar stool right in front of Roni.

Roni was slightly confused. She didn't usually pry anything from the newcomers as it wasn't her place, but she was curious. It was only Wednesday and she didn't know a one job that had a work week that ended in Wednesday. She inquired about this from the blonde, who immediately had a fire in her eyes and she snapped angrily.

"Mind your own business!"

No matter how beautiful this woman was, Roni could feel a fire rising inside her. She had a bit of a temper and there was no one she allowed to talk to her like that. And this woman was no exception. "Excuse me?!"

Roni was quite sure her anger was easy to read from her face and her voice definitely wasn't friendly and it seemed that the blonde had gotten the hint. Few deep breaths later and cheeks definitely a shade pinker, the blonde whispered.

"I do apologise. I didn't mean to go off like that..."

That calmed Roni instantly, seeing the regret shine from the striking green eyes. She didn't want to fight and it seemed that neither did the blonde.

"It's okay. It's not my place to pry. What would you like to drink?"

Roni looked at the woman, waiting for an answer. Before the raised voices the blonde had had a certain sense of powerfulness, regalness even, radiating off of her. But having the encounter with the bartender seemed to have completely drained her out and left her open. Roni though it made the blonde look even more beautiful.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm sorry. It's been really hard and busy few weeks and I need some time off to recover..." the woman trailed off. "... but you are working, I'm sorry I'm taking you away from it." she quickly changed her tone back to more formal and straightened her back.

It was quite sad that the other woman felt like she couldn't share and that she felt like she was bothering Roni. Granted they were strangers but no one deserved to look quite so lost and lonely as the blonde did.

"You know, I might be working but I'm still a good listener." Roni flashed a warmer smile towards the other woman. "Just let me know what you're drinking and let me do a round of refills and I'm back by your side before you know it." a warmer smile turned into a grin and a wink as the other woman blushed deeply.

"Deal." green eyes tried to find a place to land and they settled on what felt like was Roni's cheeks since she didn't seem to be able to meet her eyes. "Surprise me with something. Just as long as it had vodka in it." there was a small grin playing in the pink lips.

Roni started to work out a drink. She knew a lot of different ones but she wanted to make the blonde something she had never had before. Something special.

She slid it on the bar and said. "One vodka based magic special foooor..." Roni trailed off, waiting for the stranger to fill in the blank for her. And she wasn't disappointed.

"Emma."

Yeah, the name really fit the green eyes beauty in front of her Roni decided as she leaned back against the counter behind her. She was observing how Emma was biting her bottom lip while trying to decide on what colored straw she would like to use. She decided on yellow which seemed somehow out of character for when looking at the whole black assemble she was sporting.

Slowly the blonde sucked some of the drink into her mouth and her eyebrows shot up, her face clearly showing her surprise and how pleased she was with the taste.

"Not bad huh?" Roni laid her hands on the counter and leaned subtly closer.

"Not at all, it's actually amazing." Emma smiled at her. After a bit of a pause and few sips later she opened her mouth shyly. "Weren't you supposed to go to do some refills so we can... talk?"

The noticeable pause in the sentence made Roni perk up. Was Emma actually... flirting back at her? Seemed like that was the case, but Roni didn't want to assume. She wanted to determine this though in order to not make Emma uncomfortable if she had been reading the situation wrong.

"Oh of course, but my current company is just a bit too good to walk away from." Roni leaned just a tiny bit closer and flashed her perfect full teeth smile.

She could literally hear how Emma swallowed thickly and how she still met her eyes bravely. There was a slight tremble, a slight blush and Roni felt like she had assumed correctly on Emma. That didn't stop Emma from giving back the same she was receiving.

"Well, the sooner you go, the sooner you can be back here with me."

Now it was Roni's turn to falter. Oh, Emma was good, but she was ready for this challenge. She rose to her full height, shot the most charming grin she could to Emma's direction and quipped. "Well, this definitely has made the entire day worth it. See you in a bit, dear."

With that said, she rounded the bar and made her rounds. Her customers seemed to be all okay, only few new beers were requested in the corner table which she swiftly took care of. In no time she was back in front of Emma, who was happily slurping her drink. While Roni was gone though, she had removed her black leather jacket, leaving her milky shoulders bare. If she was honest with herself, Roni wanted nothing more than to touch those shoulders, just rub them gently. Well, maybe not all that gently.

Emma could see the reaction her barer upper body had on the bartender and she straightened her posture a bit as well. She felt really good about herself for the first time in ages and all of it had to do with the smoking hot bartender in front of her.

"Hi." she whispered sweetly, feeling happy unlike she had before she entered the bar. She was really looking forward to talking with the mysterious brunette, who she quickly realised she didn't know the name of. The place was called Roni's and she definitely could see that the brunette could be called Roni but she felt like she had to check that out somehow.

"Hello." Emma's sweet smile was matched with Roni's own. There was something mysterious about Emma, something utterly... _magical_. Roni wanted to roll her eyes at her choice of words, but decided against it. She had more important things in front of her now.

"So tell me about your day, Emma." Roni requested sweetly, leaning her head on her hands, setting her elbows comfortably on the table in front of her.

Emma wasn't usually a sharer by any means but before she noticed, she had told Roni everything. How things hadn't worked out with funding for work and how worn out and tired she really was of being in the public eye constantly. She wanted nothing more than to take some time for herself which she was now able to do when her project was put on hold. Emma was a director, who had made a few well recognized short films. She told Roni about her trips to different film festivals and how well it had all gone. But now, she was tired.

Roni couldn't say that she had seen any of the movies Emma mentioned, only because she didn't really watch a lot of anything. She often spend her time reading if she had the chance or felt up for it in general. But she was going to see what these movies were about, because she wanted to know more about Emma. She let the blonde tell her story without interrupting her, occasionally making another drink for her.

She could hear the disappointment in Emma's voice, the sense of self hate that came with having failed at something. Roni knew those feelings better than she wanted to admit and she felt sorry for the blonde and she wished she was somehow able to make her feel better.

"... so yeah, now I'm officially a director without a movie but if I'm honest... I'm pretty damn happy about that. This came in the right time, because of the time I need for myself." Emma said quietly, finishing off her third drink. The vodka had started to kick in the midway of the second and now she was feeling a little bit woozy.

"You shouldn't feel bad about wanting to take some time off and to feel better with yourself." Roni said locking her eyes with Emma. Damn those eyes were green. "You cannot do what you love fully, if you don't feel okay. So you shouldn't feel guilty at all."

Emma thought about that. In some way she knew it but having someone else say it out loud actually made her believe it. "Maybe you are right. It's just pretty damn hard."

Roni laughed. "I know, Emma, but things worth having aren't supposed to be easy."

The way the brunette woman laughed affected Emma's entire body. It was like a cleanse of all things heavy that were weighting her down. She felt suddenly less bad about her situation at work and more excited with the possibilities of other things she could achieve now. It wasn't like her to be optimistic but damn, she was really feeling it now.

"Thank you, Roni." Emma said before realizing she had completely forgotten about her plan on figuring out the bartenders name. Her eyes widened as she waited for the other woman to say something.

But the brunette smiled warmly and said. "You're welcome, Emma."

* * *

Roni had to go back to serving her other patrons but she occasionally came to chat with Emma. They talked about silly, mundane things like their food preferences and Emma even asked for Roni's favorite color which was black, to no one's surprise.

It was getting late and people were starting to leave. Roni waved her goodbyes and called a cap for the few of them. She did some cleaning on the tables and brought glasses back behind the bar before putting them all out for a wash.

Emma was still there, sitting by the bar, clearly pretty damn drunk. Roni had switched the blonde from drinks to water and juice ages ago but she was unsure had the blonde noticed that. From the way she was laughing at something on her phone though, it was unlikely.

"Emma." Roni said sweetly coming to stand next to the blonde woman. "Emma, I have to close the bar."

"Roni, look at this dog, isn't it funny?" Emma turned her phone towards the other woman, trying her hardest to keep her laughter in but she nearly fell from her chair when the dog eventually jumped over the fence.

Roni couldn't help but laugh as well but it was more to Emma's fun than it was to the video, although it was pretty funny too.

"Emma, did you hear what I just said?" she laid her hand gently on the bare shoulder. Damn, her skin was really smooth.

The blonde turned to look at the hand as well before she smiled up to Roni. "I did hear you, but I don't wanna leave yet, I'm having too much fun!"

Roni shook her head. "But I have to sleep, my dear. I have work to do again tomorrow and I have to be ready for all of it. Who knows which kinda blonde walks into my bar tomorrow and wants to talk?"

She meant it as a joke, but Emma looked suddenly sad again. "But... but I wanna be the blonde who you talk to..."

"Emma." Roni held onto her more tightly. "It was a joke, I was talking about you."

And just like that Emma's mood made a full 180 as she was back to being happy again. "Damn right it's me!"

Roni rolled her eyes now before trying to help the blonde to stand. She had seen her fair share of unsteady people trying to leave but Emma was something else. Those high heels were gonna be the reason the other woman broke her leg. Roni felt she was responsible for Emma now since the blonde seemed to be unable to even stand. Sending her home would be unwise because she wasn't sure would the blonde even be able to tell the driver her home address.

She had an idea.

"Emma." she started. "I live in the apartment above the bar. Would you like to stay for the night?"

The blonde looked at her clearly surprised and her mouth was hanging open for a bit. But then something in her brain kicked in another gear and a smirk spread on her face. "Are you trying to get me into your bed, babe, because I'm totally game!"

Roni shook her head before helping the blonde towards the stairs. She shut the lights on her way, giving the place a quick once over. Around the halfway she sat Emma down and removed the heels the blonde was sporting. The rest of the way in was way easier.

The apartment was rather large but very homey and warm, which might have not been the first thing that came to mind when you saw a badass like Roni. The livingroom was conveniently connected to the kitchen that only had a small island to eat on. There were book cases everywhere and there was a massive brown leather couch in the livingroom.

Emma had a hard time registering any of that because she had to put so much effort in keeping herself upright. Roni was leading her towards her bedroom with her arm wrapped around her waist, taking small, steady steps. She asked Emma did she have to use the toilet which the blonde had to think about a while. She eventually decided it must be a good idea and Roni led her to the bathroom.

Waiting outside Roni stretched and changed into her night gear which was a combo of leggings and a black t-shirt. As it seemed Emma was not yet done, she went to get some water and aspirin from the kitchen. She returned just in time to hear a flush and a wash, before the blonde stepped out. It seemed she was slightly more in control of her extremities but her face was still very flushed from the alcohol.

She wobbled to sit on the bed, while Roni hovered near by, ready to catch her if she was going to fall. The brunette handed the other woman the water and aspirin which the blonde accepted gratefully. They were quiet for a while, before Roni asked. "Can I give you something to sleep in?"

"I could use a shirt." Emma mumbled, looking down at the dress she was wearing. It wasn't going to be a comfortable night if she fell asleep in this.

Roni retrieved her another dark shirt and told the blonde she was going to go lock up while the blonde changed. As the brunette disappeared from the view Emma tried her hardest to make fast work with the zipper of the dress. She fumbled a little before she managed and the dress fell to her feet. Shrugging on the comfy shirt she snuggled into the bed.

It all smelled sweetly of the woman who was letting her stay in her house. Even though she was drunk Emma knew that there was something special about Roni and she wanted to see her again. Well, she was gonna see her in the morning for sure.

"I see you have made yourself comfortable." Roni smirked from the doorway, leaning against it. Emma looked positively adorable, having pulled the duvet all the way up to her neck so only her head was peaking out. She braid crown had gotten looser during the evening but now it was nearly coming undone which made Emma look even softer.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind." Emma whispered, feeling the tiredness hit her.

"Of course not, that's why I brought you in here." Roni said as she sat next to Emma on the bed. They were just looking at each other for a while before Emma yawned a bit. Roni laughed before smiling down at Emma. "I think it's time for you to sleep."

"Are you gonna join me?" Emma looked so hopeful but Roni had made her decision before she even had suggested that Emma would stay at hers tonight.

"Not tonight, my dear." Roni said but pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek. The blonde looked at her in amazement before another yawn. Her eyes were slowly shutting and she let out one more deep breath before it was clear that she had fallen asleep.

Roni stayed a while longer before she got up and turned off the lights. It had been an interesting day indeed.

* * *

/ my love, my inspiration, thank you for this 3


	2. Chapter 2

The morning came sooner than Emma was ready for. There was sun on her face and absolute softness around her as she did her morning stretches. Running her palms on the sheets she breathed in the pillow under her. It was a sweet smell, somehow very familiar...

That made Emma open her eyes suddenly. She was half expecting a splitting headache, but she realised she was feeling rather okay considering she had been drinking a fair amount the night before.

The ceiling she was staring up at was not hers, that was for sure and in any other situation she would have been mighty freaked out but she remembered everything. About the cute little bar and even cuter bartender, Roni. And she was at Roni's. As in the apartment and not the bar.

She stretched again, slightly bit wider than last time and her leg hit something. Stopping, she gulped. She had been sure she was alone in the bed but it seemed like she was not after all. Taking a few deep breaths, she raised her head from the pillow at the same time as something moved on the bed.

Before she could register what it was, there was a sudden weight on top of her. Emma let out a scream, trying to push at the weight but there was no use. What made her stop though was a lick. Square on her face.

"Emma!"

She turned her head towards the door where a familiar figure was standing. Roni was sporting only a big t-shirt with some fluffy socks and her curly hair was a mess. An adorable mess.

"It seems you have met my friend Sirius." she leaned on the door frame, smirking slightly crossing her arms over her chest.

Emma was confused but she turned to look at the creature still laying on her. Now that the situation had calmed down, she could see dark brown eyes staring back at her. There were massive black paws on her chest and the tongue that had just taken a lick at her was hanging joyfully out of a big mouth.

Emma let out a small laugh and that was when the dog got excited again and tried to lick her face. That made Emma laugh harder as she managed to sit up. A fluffy black dog was sitting on her lap, wagging it's tail seemingly very happy about the turn of events.

Lifting her hand to pet the dog, Emma turned her eyes to look at the brunette still smirking in the doorway. It seemed like a deja-vu kind of a moment, like the other woman would have done that exact same thing before. Considering they met yesterday, it must have been before Emma passed out. That made a gentle blush rise to the pale cheeks as the blonde remembered how she had barely been able to walk up the steps to the apartment. The embarrassment was soon replaced by warmth because Roni had let her stay, had asked her to.

"How are you feeling?" Roni saw how the other woman got lost in her thoughts, blushing slightly as she entered a particular memory. The blonde hair that had been a tasteful braid crown yesterday had gotten completely loose during the night and now a mass of golden hair was flowing down Emma's shoulder and down her back. She looked so unlike the woman Roni had met yesterday at the bar and that somehow made her even more beautiful in Roni's eyes.

"I'm good, thank you." Emma blushed again. "And good morning."

Roni couldn't help but laugh because how was this woman suddenly so adorable in her eyes. "Good morning, dear. Would you like some breakfast?"

"You don't have to-" Emma started to argue because she already felt like she had overstayed her welcome. She tried to leave the bed but the dog was sitting firmly on her legs, looking at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking about. Emma frowned at him slightly, but stopped her attempt to get up.

"Nonsense. I was making some for myself as well and you are my guest." Roni smiled before slowly walking closer and sitting down on the bed. Adjusting her legs under her butt she pulled the shirt to cover herself a little as she shivered. That seemed to alert the dog as he got up in seconds and snuggled close to Roni's side.

There was a gentle, private kind of smile curving on Roni's lips and Emma was captivated. She provided her dog with a gentle scratch behind his ear and he closed his eyes, laying a head on her lap. There was a serene silence in the room, and all of its occupants were happily enfolded in that.

Emma was a bit confused with what she was feeling. She felt like this was a very normal, regular situation for them to be in but then again, it definitely wasn't. They had met for the first time yesterday, but there was something about the badass bartender that she was familiar with.

She physically shook her head rid of the thoughts which in turn made Roni and Sirius look at her weirdly. Emma was about to say 'its nothing' but then there was that smile again and she decided against it.

"Come on, Emma. It's time for all of us to eat... breakfast." Roni said 'breakfast' in such adorably over excited way, but it was clearly for the dogs benefit because the black ball of fur was out of the room in seconds, waiting in the kitchen no doubt.

Emma let out a snort, because this just seemed like something private that not everyone got to see. At least she hoped, because the idea of Roni bringing other people home for the night made her angry for some odd reason. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Roni speaking.

"Emma, are you okay?" Roni was leaning closer, still sitting in her spot on the bed. She could see the swirling of emotions and thoughts in those green eyes, but she was unsure was the blonde feeling sick from all of the alcohol or was there something else going on. As she had learned the night before, it had been really busy and tough time for the blonde, and there were things haunting her so maybe it all had something to do with that.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, still a bit tired." Emma said and smiled. She didn't want Roni to think anything was wrong because it wasn't. She realised that for the first time in years she felt like nothing was wrong, she felt content.

Roni searched her face for few more seconds before getting up. "In that case, it's time for all of us to eat breakfast. You can nap some more after that, but I'm starving." with that said, she made her way out of the door, her fluffy sock muffling the sound of her feet.

"I guess, it's time for breakfast then." Emma whispered and followed to brunette out of the bedroom.

* * *

Roni refused to let Emma help with breakfast preparations, which left the blonde sitting at the breakfast bar awkwardly, watching on how the brunette prepared breakfast. Roni seemed to be an expert, what with her grace and confidence in cooking. Emma felt compelled to admit that she was terrible at cooking and to her own surprise, she eventually shared.

It made Roni laugh, which felt like a win. Roni told her in return that she had learned to cook after she ended up living alone. She didn't elaborate who had she been living with before that and Emma didn't want to come off nosy, but she had to admit she was curious. There was something about the other woman that made her want to learn all of her secrets and learn everything there was to know about her. She was a mystery.

In no time they were all having breakfast. Roni had made them some scrambled eggs with some extra bacon and grilled cheese, all of it paired off with coffee and apple juice. She had also prepared Sirius his breakfast which consisted on some dry dog food and pre-made chicken. She had given an affectionate scratch behind his ear which apparently was his favorite spot before giving him an okay to start his breakfast. And as any dog, he munched it all down in seconds before moving to lay on a couch, watching over them.

Emma waited for Roni to sit down as well before digging into her breakfast. Yesterday had been all about consuming liquids so she felt like today she could definitely do with something more solid. She couldn't hold in a moan, when the taste of the eggs hit her taste buds. She had had some good eggs before but there was something unbelievable about the breakfast she was currently having.

Roni tried to hide her pleased smile as she looked on Emma devouring her plate full of breakfast. She hadn't really cooked for another person in a long time, having only had learned properly when her best friend had moved out. And cooking for yourself was totally different than cooking for someone else, it gave the food a different kind of meaning.

"So what have you got in the plans today?" Roni asked as she was reaching for another grilled cheese. This was easily one of her favorite breakfast foods, and it seemed that Emma was enjoying it particularly much as well.

"I don't know really... For the first time in ages I have nothing to do. I'm free to do whatever I want." Emma said, the realization hitting her hard. This really was the first time, she had been working since she was a teenager and now being well over 30 years old she had her first break.

"In that case..." Roni chewed a piece before continuing. "You should do something you haven't done in a long time, something you miss."

Emma thought of that. There were a lot of things she hadn't done in ages and there were definitely things she missed, but right now the only thing she wanted to do was the sit here, opposite Roni eating breakfast. It was strange how much she enjoyed the other woman's company and how reluctant she was to leave her.

"I guess there are a lot of things, but I have all the time in the world. I don't wanna rush it." Emma said reaching for more bacon. There was a sudden weight on her leg and upon looking down Emma could see pitch black eyes staring up at her. That made her smile and she looked at Roni, raising her eyebrows.

"You can give him a little bit, but you gotta suck most of the salt out of the bacon. I don't want him to get ill and that is the only way he gets bacon." Roni instructed, smiling lightly.

Emma did as she was told and the little piece of bacon vanished in seconds and the black eyes continued to stare up at her pleadingly. Emma giggled and petted the soft head that just snuggled in closer.

Roni looked at them curiously. It wasn't like Sirius to take to strangers like that, she had already been surprised enough about this morning when Sirius had gone to wake Emma up. Roni knew there was something... unique about Emma, and it seemed like her dog knew that as well.

"What are you gonna do? I know you have work later but what does a bartender do during their off time?" Emma leaned on her hand, finishing up her last piece of bacon all the while trying to ignore the dog next to her, begging for another piece.

"Well, I do what everyone else does, I suppose? Find things to do that make me happy." Roni smiled, getting up to take the dishes to the sink. "For example today I was gonna go to the mall later to replace the pair of jeans that I broke. And after that I have to check that the bar is ready to take in customers."

Emma carried her own dishes and the empty serving plates to the sink, thinking. She wanted to go with Roni. And that thought alone was leaving her quite speechless. It wasn't like her to get so comfortable with another person, at least not that fast. Because it was a known fact that Emma was an introvert, had been since she was a teen.

She felt like she had already overstayed her welcome, which is why she blasted a smile on her face when she turned back towards Roni. The brunette was on her knees on the floor, whispering to her dog, smiling in the way that made her eyes shine. Emma felt like whatever she was gonna say got wiped as her brains turned into smush.

"Emma? Are you alright?" Roni asked, cocking her head quite the same way Sirius was doing.

'Adorable' Emma thought but quickly shook her head. No, no to all of this.

"I was actually thinking of going. I have been your burden long enough." she smiled, but she could feel a bit of sting in her heart. And it seemed some kind of sting was easy to read on her face.

Roni got up from the floor and walked to Emma. The brunette woman had no problem stepping unusually close as she looked deep into Emma's eyes. The other woman was searching, what, that Emma wasn't sure about.

"Emma, you aren't a burden. If you were I would not have invited you to stay or offer you breakfast. I'm not that nice." there was a evil smile on her face and Emma let out a breath, not having noticed that she was holding it in.

"Well, that's good to know, I suppose." she shrugged, unsure what else to do. "I still have to get going I think. Maybe we will run into each other again?" Emma added, trying to hide the hopefulness in her voice.

"I'm sure we will. I'm not so hard to find." Roni smiled, taking a step back, giving Emma the room she needed to make her way to the door. She slipped into her heels before shrugging on her jacket. She gave a small awkward wave towards Roni before unlocking the door and stepping out.

Roni listened to the sound of the heels hitting the metal steps and how the backdoor closed before letting out a breath. She looked around her apartment, empty once more. She was unsure what it was about Emma that seemed so incredibly familiar to her. It wasn't like they had met before because _that_ Roni would remember. Emma Swan was gorgeous and captivating and Roni hoped she would see her again.

"Sirius." she said before sitting on the floor once again. "She's trouble. I can sense it." but there was smile on her lips, the kind that reached ones eyes and that lit a fire in them.

* * *

/ i wish i could update more regularly but it seems that everytime i try, i also get busy. but i have chapter 3 nearly written out so it _shouldn't_ be too long? in theory at least, but who knows right? let me know what you think about this chapter?


	3. Chapter 3

It was several days before Emma saw Roni again. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her, hell she was on her mind more often than not, but she had actually been pretty busy for a woman without a job. Turns out, one does not just drop her work like that because there were papers to fill, people to meet and deals to be made.

This was the part about film business that Emma hated. There was always more and more paperwork being included and the actual directing became secondary due to time. And directing her actors was what Emma loved to do. None the less she had pulled through with several movies, but now she felt like she had had enough.

It was sad that the project she had been working on had fallen through since everyone had been so ready to start working, but she wasn't sad about the break it was granting her. She hadn't lied to Roni when she had told her that there had always been a next gig, next grand thing for a young female director to be accomplished and she hardly had any time for herself.

But now, in this very moment in time she was laying on her couch in sweats and a hoodie, watching Netflix. She had a bowl of popcorn on the table in front of her and she could feel a certain feeling set in. It was called boredom. Sitting up she stared dead ahead, not really paying any attention to the movie she had been watching.

Roni had given her great advice and told her to do something she missed doing, something that made her happy. There was one specific thing in her mind that she knew she hadn't done in years which she now had a sudden urge to do. Emma took a quick peek outside the window before running into her bedroom to get changed. Before she knew it she had brushed her hair into a high ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a blazer as she set to get her things before walking out of the door.

It was a sunny day in Seattle and she was on her way to the park. There were several parks in the city but in this specific park there was a pond and every year for as long as she could remember there had been swans there. Having packed some apples and her favorite book, she had every intention in sitting on the bench reading and occasionally watching the swans.

There was something about the swans that Emma couldn't quite explain. It was so easy to relate to them in some weird level that she had never told anyone about. Maybe it was the whole ugly duckling thing, because Emma felt like that was definitely part of her story. But when she had first started to read about swans, there were couple of things she came by more often than anything else. Things like 'swans mate for life' and the widely known 'all swans belong to the queen'. Apparently it's something that's accurate in England but somehow Emma felt it was accurate in her as well. Somehow it all felt rather fitting in her head, making it yet another weird thing she wasn't able to explain.

It was in the middle of the day, on a weekday and most people were at work, which was Emma's favorite time to be out and about. She did enjoy living in the city but the blonde wasn't big on people. This was the time she preferred. Walking towards the pond, she quickly spotted a pair of swans calmly swimming around in the water. That made her stop and she was rather unsure how long she stood there just watching them. There was no rush, no people to meet or things to do. She was allowed to enjoy this for as long as she liked.

"Emma?"

Calling of her name made the magic shatter and she was ready to unleash her annoyance towards the sorry person who had disturbed her peace. But upon realizing who had called her name, every single bit of annoyance vanished as Roni came to view, trying to hold onto Sirius who was desperately trying to get to Emma faster.

Soon they were close enough for Sirius to greet Emma and the black dog didn't hesitate to jump up to meet Emma, trying to lick the blondes face as he did. Emma couldn't help but laugh which somehow spurred the black dog on even more. Sirius was not listening to Roni's directions to 'stop jumping' and to 'calm down'. No, everything that currently mattered to him was Emma.

Deciding to crouch down so the dog didn't need to jump, Emma ended up falling on her ass on the ground as Sirius was getting more and more excited.

"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry!" Roni looked on horrified, trying to reel in her excited dog. "Sirius!"

But what stopped the brunette on her tracks was a carefree laugh in the air. It was resonating from a deep place within ones body, vibrating through the entire being. It left Roni rather mesmerized as the wind made the high blonde ponytail swirl back and forth. It was like something wonderful broke in Emma, because she couldn't stop laughing. Tears were streaming on her face and she actually had to hold onto her belly as she was definitely feeling the effects of laughing.

Sirius was looking at Emma curiously, more calm now but his tail was wagging so hard his entire body was shaking. Roni looked just as curious as her dog and after a while she felt compelled to say something. "Emma?"

That seemed to snap the blonde out of it somewhat, because she focused her green eyes on the brown ones looking at her questionably. She tried her hardest to swallow the laughs and eventually she was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down enough to speak.

"Are you alright?" Roni asked, now slightly concerned.

"You have no idea..." Emma smiled widely. "... how good that felt. It was definitely one of the things I haven't done in a long time." she reached out her hand towards Sirius who now walked over calmly only to sit between Emma's legs, waiting to be petted.

Emma had no problem with that as she set to pet the dog, not at all caring that she was sitting with her legs open on the ground. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so carefree and literally uncaring of what people thought of her.

Roni smirked, recognizing her own words. "Well, it seems you are off for a good start with that. Sometimes having a good laugh is all you need."

"I couldn't agree more." Emma was scratching Sirius from behind his ears. "So what brings you here?"

"Well the answer to your question is sitting between your legs." Roni sassed and Sirius looked up at her, clearly knowing she was talking about him. Roni raised her eyebrows to him which made him get up and come to her for a cuddle. There was that smile again, Emma noted. That sweet, shining smile that came in tandem with Sirius - it was what pure happiness looked like and it warmed the blondes heart that the bartender was having it.

Woah, when did it become so important to her that Roni was happy? She had met the woman once before and suddenly she cared for her? No, nope, nooo. Wasn't happening.

While Emma was trying to silence her mind and push the breaks, Roni had reached out a hand to help the blonde up. She was well aware that the blonde was thinking of something else so she patiently held her hand in place. It was certain Emma needed help getting up and after a surprisingly long time the green eyes focused on the hand. There was a question forming but before she could voice it, Roni offered an explanation.

"Just in case you need help getting up."

Emma took a hold of the hand without saying anything and the bartender pulled her up with one swift, strong move. She let go of Emma's hand but there was lingering longing in the air and it was unsure who it was from. There was an awkward silence before Roni cleared her throat, obviously intent on breaking it.

"So, did you have something else to do here other than falling on your ass and laughing the said ass off?"

There was something so honest in the way Roni presented herself and her things. She wasn't beating around the bushes just because that was what society called polite, but she was straightforward with her question and opinions. And for someone like Emma, it was refreshing.

"I came to see the swans." Emma said and looked at the pond again. It seemed like the swans weren't too bothered with the noise the blonde had caused with her laugh as they were still swimming calmly together, right next to each other.

Roni turned to look the direction Emma was looking at and she let out a slight gasp. "I have never seen them before!"

"Never?" Emma was surprised. The park was by no means a secret and as someone with a dog it seemed rather unlikely Roni had not walked past here at some point when the swans were there. "They nest here every year."

"I often take Sirius out towards the other end of the city but those few times we have been here... there has been no swans." Roni couldn't take her eyes of them. There was something weighing on her chest. Or maybe her head. She wasn't quite sure what it was but what she did know was the fact that the swans were important. That there was something she knew about them but she couldn't focus her brain enough to know what that was.

"Well, here they are now." Emma said, grateful they were there today. It would have felt weird coming here only to find out there were no swans. She hadn't been here in few years and now that she thought of it, it could have been very possible the swans were already gone. But here they were.

"Do you wanna sit down with me? I have some apples with me." Emma suddenly asked, quite floored with her own boldness. She had not meant to say it, not like that at least but now she could only wait and see what Roni answered.

Having been fully concentrating on the swans, Roni had been taken by surprise with the question. But the answer was easy. "Of course. But what kind of a pickup line are apples?" she smirked before sitting down on the bench next to them. Sirius settled by her legs, fully content in their break.

Emma blushed. "Actually it wasn't- I mean I didn't- You know what, shut up."

That made Roni laugh in turn. "I was only teasing." she patted the bench next to her. "Come and sit down. We have swans to stare at and apples to eat."

Emma sat down and opened her bag to hand Roni an apple. She tried her hardest not to stare when Roni bit into the apple, few droplets landing on her jaw. It took her a couple more bites to wipe it away and there was something so regal about her movements. Hurrying to catch up, Emma bit into her own apple. People had preferences when it came to colors of the apples but she was hundred percent for the red kind. They were the sweetest.

There was a comfortable silence as they munched on their apples. After a while they had both finished and Emma had gotten up to take both of the bits to the trash can nearby. She settled back on her spot before turning to Roni. "So is this another thing that bartenders do during the day?"

Roni turned towards Emma as well before smiling. "Yes. Buying jeans and walking my dog, that's what bartenders do on their off time." she winked.

"I knew it." Emma sounded proud of herself, lifting a hand to lay it victoriously on her chest. "I should win a price for this knowledge."

"How about a drink?" Roni asked, smirking yet again. "On the house."

"You got me at 'how'" Emma smirked back. They got up from the bench together and started to walk towards the direction where Roni and Sirius had come from. The black dog walked happily between them, not pulling one bit just giving occasional licks on Roni's hand.

Emma was thinking back to their conversation just now: was there flirting? She wasn't a stranger to flirting, but this seemed so subtle and natural that she was at the loss of what to do. She liked it, I mean she really did, but she wanted to be cool and smooth about it, but the second she got worried, she was going to ruin it. That she was really good at.

It wasn't a long way back to the bar and Roni unlocked the front door to let Emma in first. She told the blonde to make herself comfortable before disappearing into the stairs to take Sirius into the apartment. Emma decided to use the opportunity to walk around the bar since when she had entered that night, it had been almost full and seeing anything else but the bar top had been impossible.

Roni's had a sense of warmth and comfort in it. It was cozy down to the colors of brown and softness of the chairs. There was a massive fireplace just waiting to be lit and strong wooden tables expecting drinks to be placed upon them. Double doors led to a small outdoors area with a couple of chairs and a table. Emma felt like on a normal day this was a place to hang out in, maybe do some reading or writing. Yes, this would actually be better than fine.

There was clanking of the metal steps as Roni made her way downstairs. She noticed Emma was looking around her bar, like she was seeing it for the very first time. And in a sense she probably was.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Roni said proudly, settling on her place behind the bar.

"It is. It's so... warm." Emma said as she walked to sit on the barstool she had vacated just some nights ago. In sense it felt like it had been a lifetime ago but it also very easily could have been four seconds ago. Somehow time wasn't really that real of a concept when Roni was around.

"I wanted it to be welcoming, I wanted it to be a place where one could come for safety, for a drink, for a talk. It's the only bar around and I don't have much competition but I still wanted it to be the best anyone has ever had."

"Well, you are doing one hell of a job." Emma felt like complimenting Roni because it was true. She had felt welcome from the moment she had stepped into the bar.

"Thank you." Roni smiled. "So what shall it be?" she gestured to the extensive wall of alcohol behind her. "As I remember you are a vodka kind of girl, but is it what you want to have today?"

"Isn't it too early to drink?" Emma raised her eyebrow.

"There is no such thing." Roni answered without missing a beat. She was clearly looking for something herself before she got to her tippytoes to reach a bottle on one of the higher shelf. She poured a healthy amount into a glass before taking a small sip. Closing her eyes, she hummed deeply, obviously enjoying whatever it was the she was drinking.

Emma was transfixed. Roni was quite literally the most beautiful, sexiest woman she had ever seen in her life and Emma had seen her fare share. It was not a secret that she had been attracted to both men and women and she had been publicly seen with both. And for some reason she got the same vibes from Roni.

"Try this." Roni held out the glass and Emma took it without questioning it. She took a careful sip, feeling the warm liquid work itself into her body. There was nothing she could do to stop the deep moan that was bubbling out of her.

Roni smirked knowingly and when Emma opened her eyes, she quipped. "Told you so."

"What is this?" Emma was inspecting the liquid in the glass. Against the light there were colors of gold and brown, swirling together in mesmerizing harmony.

"It's my high end, top shelf stuff. Not many people order it, not many people know it exists." Roni said, reaching for the glass that Emma gave back. The brunette took another sip, closing her eyes again.

"You still didn't answer my question: what is it?" Emma said, in turn reaching out to take the glass they were apparently sharing. Roni gave it to her and their hands ended up touching. There was a second where it all stopped moving and their eyes locked. But just as fast as the moment started it was over.

"They call it the rainbow liquor. It's mixture of several alcohols that you think wouldn't go well together but somehow they have cooked it into something that actually makes you purr like a cat." Roni smirked, but there was something different about this smirk, something slightly dangerous. And that was hot, like really really hot.

"Well, it certainly does." Emma kept her eyes locked on the brown ones when she finished the drink and setting down the glass. It was also clear that on top of unicorn kisses and rainbows, this particular drink also had a very high alcohol level because the young blonde could feel slightly fuzzy after it.

"Did you have other things you were planning on doing today?" Roni asked, tinkering something behind the bar. In no time she set down a glass of clear substance with a lemon slice and a tiny yellow umbrella on it.

Emma took a sip without even asking what was in it and she nearly chocked as she started laughing. The other woman had put all this effort in to give her a glass of water. Roni was well aware as to why the blonde was laughing as she only slightly raised her eyes. She fixed herself a similar drink but her umbrella was purple instead of yellow.

Lifting up her glass, she toasted. "For us, to not to get drunk before my shift starts, cheers." she clinked her glass with Emma's before taking a big gulp.

"So funny, you are." Emma sassed before she took another sip of her water. She did need this, after all the alcohol she had just had hit her harder than normally.

"I'm a delight." Roni smiled big.

There was a silence again. There had been several ones during today but somehow this felt like the most comfortable yet. They didn't need to say anything, because somehow sipping those waters was enough for now.

Roni was looking at the blonde woman sitting on the barstool she had sat on the first night she visited the bar. It was so weird as Roni could feel a sense of familiarity about Emma, but just as she was in the verge of discovering where she knew her from, it slipped away. She felt comfortable in her presence, like she could tell her anything. Maybe they had been best friends in another life. And it really didn't hurt that Emma was absolutely gorgeous too.

The clock was ticking and Roni knew she had to start to get the bar ready for the customers. It was a middle of the week night so it wasn't all that busy and there were no loud music tonight. The brunette finished her drink quickly and started to stack up some of the glasses on their places.

"Can I help?" Emma asked, looking on as Roni was getting ready for her day of business.

"No, that's okay, dear." Roni said, suddenly very aware that she had called Emma 'dear'. She knew she had done it before, several times actually but she still felt a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

Emma settled back on her spot, not wanting to intrude but still very much wanting to help. As if someone knew the was free, her phone rang. Both Emma and Roni stared at the offending device on the counter before Emma craned her neck to see who was calling. She let out a long frustrated sigh before picking up.

Roni tried to busy herself and not to listen. But it was hard, so very hard. Not to mention she had seen the caller ID. Whoever this woman was, Roni already disliked her and she was unsure why that was. Hearing Emma raise her voice made Roni raise her eyes to see the clearly annoyed blonde speaking to her phone.

"Why do you need me for that? I'm done, remember? I should not have to-" she was clearly cut of in the other end of the line. "I'm not even home, I don't have these papers with me everywhere I go." more mumbling in the phone line. "Fine. But after that, I wanna be left alone." she ended the call with a loud grunt of frustration.

Roni looked at Emma for a minute before asking. "Everything okay?"

"No, not really. I just do not understand how hard it is to leave me alone. I spend the last couple of days in taking care of my affairs so the project is officially put on hold. I was assured yesterday it was all fine and that they'd only contact me if there was something new in funding." she shook her head, clearly calming down. "I just want to be left alone, you know. I don't want them to bother me very single second of every single day with something. This is why the losing of the funding was a blessing in disguise. I didn't know how much I needed this until I saw an out." she looked suddenly so sad and Roni felt compelled to reach out for her. But she didn't.

"What did they ask of you?" Roni felt really bad for Emma. It was clear that no matter how much the other woman loved her job, it had become taxing and it was no longer fun for her. Not to mention she was tired, very tired.

"Some papers that I apparently have on my place and no one else has." Emma shook her head sadly. "Which means I have to get going."

"Oh." Roni didn't want her to leave but she couldn't keep her here either. "I guess I will see you around then?"

"Yeah." Emma was looking down at her phone, silently cursing. She didn't want to go but if she wanted to get rid of work she had to go and do this thing. So she got up, finished what was left of her drink before giving a yet another awkward wave. Roni responded by nodding.

They were both left feeling a sense of loss. It was not like neither of them wished the day to end.

* * *

/ i'm sorry it took me a while to update this, but it seems like whenever i think i have time to write something. comes. up.  
i'm currently working on my fic for supernova, but i wanted to update this fic in the meantime. i hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

The papers Emma was called about were thankfully simple to find and she was assured that it was all they needed. Everything seemed to be in order and she was a free woman now, free to do what she wanted. Emma knew that she was expected to re-surface any time now with a new project on the way, a directors chair basically waiting in the trunk of her car.

But no. It had been so unclear to her how much she needed a break until she was having one now. She had tuned her body to deal with the long hours and the stress but it was her mind that was finally giving in. It was unlike her to be tired or grumpy but she was an adult enough to admit that it was what she had become. And she wanted to go back to being okay.

So it was time for a break. It had been her first official day without work things, well until the call at least and it had been amazing. She had done at least three things she hadn't done in a long time. Laughing herself breathless being one and watching the swans the second. Having a drink, a tough drink, in the middle of the day was something she hadn't done in years either and it had felt wrong in the best possible way.

And all of the things done today came hand and hand with the bartender she couldn't stop thinking about. Anyone could see how absolutely beautiful Roni was, but there was something special about her. Emma didn't know what it was, but the brunette had become a permanent resident in her brain.

Emma felt bad for leaving Roni's like that. She had been having fun and she felt really good, but the mood was completely ruined by the phone call. Now she was unsure what she should do with herself. It was only early afternoon and the weather outside was still beautiful, so it was nearly criminal to stay inside.

Changing her clothes yet again, she opted for a medium high sun dress paired with sunglasses and she even let out her hair again. Deciding what to bring was even more difficult, but after long deliberation she packed in her laptop and the book she had been carrying around the entirety of the day. She was gonna go for a walk to find a place to have something to eat. To distract herself. Yes, it was a good idea. Brilliant.

Finding a place to eat was surprisingly easy and she didn't even have to leave the neighbourhood. She was slowly falling in love with the Hyperion Heights again, even when she had sworn she would move away as soon as possible. But none the less, no matter what kind of job awaited, she always still had her small apartment there and now she lived there full time.

She sat in a small corner cafe for couple of hours, enjoying her lunch and later on few cups of coffee. The book she was reading was one of her favourites and the deep love could be seen from the worn out seams and turned corners of her favourite pages. There was serenity and she just couldn't stop smiling.

Eventually she gathered her things and made her way back to the counter. While reading she had gotten an idea and she was really unsure was it a good one or not, but hey, didn't hurt to try, right?

She ordered two more drinks to go, before starting to make her way towards the familiar hill that led to her new favourite place in the Heights - Roni's. Emma checked her looks at the reflection of a nearby shop window and decided she looked fine enough for this. It was her nerves that she had to get under control.

Gathering her courage she used her free hand to pull open the door to the bar. There was a low, calm music playing in the background as people were talking happily. The bar wasn't full by any means but there were definitely people, just like Roni had mentioned.

Emma walked up to the bar, seeing the familiar curly haired beauty on the other side of the counter. It didn't seem like Roni had noticed her as she was concentrated on preparing a drink. It was one of those multi-alcohol ones which took some serious talent. In no time the bartender handed the drink to the customer she was serving. Almost on a same breath she asked. "So what can I get ya?"

Only then did she turn her eyes to meet Emma's and on an instant a smile broke out on her lips. Emma couldn't help but to smile back as that was the kind of reaction that warmed ones heart.

"Emma, you're back." Roni felt silly stating the obvious but she had been quite down ever since the blonde had left. Last time they said goodbyes - or waved - it took several days for them to run into each other again. So this was definitely a lovely surprise.

"That I am." Emma smiled, pulling one cup free from its holder. She extended it towards the brunette who took it while raising a questioning eyebrow. It was rather captivating how with the smallest of expressions, Roni was able to convey so much.

"I know you have another long day ahead running your bar and I wanted to bring you something to keep you going. That rainbow stuff was rather hard." Emma smiled, trying her hardest not to blush. It didn't work.

Roni took a sip of her coffee without saying anything but it was clear that she was surprised at the taste. Emma felt the need to say something, to clarify in someway. "I noticed how you took your coffee when you offered me breakfast."

"Not only is she beautiful but she is sneaky too." Roni grinned. "What a delicious combination."

That made Emma turn into the colour of a tomato. She wanted desperately to answer but it seemed like she was incapable of doing it. That seemed to please Roni for some reason as the brunette was smirking wider.

"Oh stop smirking." Emma eventually huffed, taking a sip of her own cup. She had opted to go for a hot chocolate, having been drinking coffee for the past couple of hours. The blonde loved her coffee but there was a special place in her heart for hot chocolate. It felt... comfortable.

"What?" Roni took another victorious sip of her coffee. She loved the reaction she was getting from Emma right now. It seemed she had read the situation right the first time they met.

"Drink your coffee, woman." Emma mumbled and turned around.

That made Roni quite literally panic. She didn't want Emma to go yet, she had just gotten back. That made her stop in her tracks. Why was she suddenly so upset about Emma possibly leaving? They barely knew each other! But somehow Emma knew how she liked her coffee, she was being sweet and thoughtful, she made her smile...

Kicking her brain back in the gear she rounded the bar to reach for Emma's arm. The milky skin was just as soft as she had thought it was and it made the blonde turn around to face her. "Are you leaving?"

Roni's tone gave nothing away but it was all in her brown eyes. Emma could see that her leaving was the last thing the brunette wanted and it had never been her intention to leave in the first place. "No. I was going to sit down in one of those armchairs to read. As I told you, I really like it here and since it's quiet for now... I might as well read some more."

That made Roni feel much calmer. She wanted to play it cool but for some reason it was difficult when it came to Emma. It was like there was a field around the blonde woman that short circuited her brain whenever they were near each other. Roni wanted to believe she was more badass than that.

"Well, in that case do make yourself comfortable." she smiled and let go of the blondes arm. They shared another smile and Emma gave a small wink before going to one of the arm chairs and pulled out her book. The chairs were just as comfortable as they looked and she sank into them in seconds.

Roni was left watching as the other woman got comfortable. She couldn't quite make what she was reading but the book was clearly worn and frequently read. It warmed Roni's heart that Emma had still had time to read even with the busy life she had been leading this far.

New people were coming in and she had to return behind the bar to serve them. It only got busier from there. She was able to steal random glances at the blonde who seemed to be completely encrossed in her book. The only times she concentrated on anything else was when she took a sip out of her cup.

Roni opened another bottle of beer to hand it out when the bell on top of the door glinged. She looked up and smiled when she saw who had come though the door. Meeting Henry had been one of the luckiest things that had happened to her. He had arrived in Heights through odd series of events but there was something that was keeping him here. And Roni knew what, or rather who, it was.

"Hey, Roni." Henry smiled as he sat down on one of the barstools. "Can I have a beer?"

"Of course." she handed him one quickly. "Everything alright?" there was something odd about the way Henry was behaving and Roni wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Yeah, I suppose. Just trying to figure this all out. Mainly Lucy." Henry took a sip off his drink. "I do worry about her, she is so into this idea that what I wrote in that book is real."

Roni was aware of what Lucy thought. She knew Jacinda and Lucy well, as they were all living in the same neighbourhood. The impending change was being pushed on to all of them by no other than Victoria Belfrey and she really had it out for Jacinda. Lucy getting up to no good didn't help their case at all.

"Just give her some space, she will come around." Roni told him gently, taking a hold of his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

That was the moment Emma appeared by Henry's side and sat on _her_ barstool. She felt it was okay to claim it as hers considering that's where she always ended up. Emma had seen how Henry and Roni greeted each other and how they had a hushed conversation. When the brunette had taken the strangers hand, Emma felt jealousy rear its ugly head.

She had made her way to the bar and as she sat down, the brunette turned to smile at her widely, completely unaware as to what the other woman was feeling. "Hey, Emma, can I get you something?" she was yet to let go of Henry's hand.

"Well, it is past six so vodka, please." Emma knew her tone was tighter than it normally was and she tried her hardest to soften it. This all had nothing to do with Roni, she had no right to feel this way about the brunette. They weren't together.

Henry took a gulp of his drink before turning to look at the woman who had appeared by the bar and he nearly spit out his drink. In his haste to avoid that he ended up swallowing weirdly which in turn caused him to couch loudly.

Both Emma and Roni reached out for him and pat him on the back to help him breathe. Roni reached over the counter and lifted Henry's arms towards the ceiling, gently telling him to keep them up as it was going to help.

Eventually the couching stopped and Roni turned Henry's face towards herself and asked with concern. "Henry, are you okay?"

It took another minute for Henry to catch his breath to answer. "Yes, yes, I'm okay." he turned carefully to look at the woman sitting by his side, green eyes scanning him over. There was similar kind of concern in her eyes as there were in Roni's, although the blonde woman did not let it show on her face like the brunette did.

Roni was still slightly skeptical but for now she let it go. "Oh, let me introduce you. Henry this is my... friend, Emma." it was not lost on any of them that Roni paused weirdly when she had to choose what to call Emma. "Emma, this is Henry, the closest thing I have ever had to a son." that made Henry beam at Roni.

Emma felt completely foolish. Well, even more so than she had when this weird feeling had surfaced. She had no right to be jealous over Roni. They weren't a couple, hell they had only met a couple of times. And now that Roni said that about Henry, it made her see the interaction in a new light. How stupid she had been.

"Nice to meet you, Henry." Emma offered her hand which Henry shook confidently. "I hope you are okay, couching like that is nasty." that made Henry laugh which in turn made Emma smile.

"Oh, I'm all good. A good reminder of ones mortality." Henry smirked. "So, you have a new friend, huh, mom?" that was a jab at Roni who gave him the evil eye.

"As a matter of fact, I do." was the only thing Roni said before she turned to make Emma the drink she had ordered. Both Emma and Henry snorted before they turned towards each other again, letting the brunette work.

"So what brings you here?" Emma felt oddly comfortable talking with Henry. It was weird to say the least. It must be the bar and the atmosphere.

"Well, Roni's has become my regular place I suppose." Henry laughed taking a sip of his beer. "It's kind of a funny story actually."

Before either of them noticed they were in a deep conversation. Henry was telling Emma about how Lucy had showed up on his door, telling him that he was her father. It caused the blonde's heart squeeze unpleasantly and she was unsure why that was. A lot of odd things were happening and Emma had no idea what was actually going on.

"And then I started to come around whenever I could, just like now." Henry finished. He had long ago emptied the beer bottle in front of him, but was yet to ask for another one. Emma had done the same and for some reason she didn't really feel like drinking.

"I do hope it works out for you, Henry. You seem like someone with a good head on their shoulders and I can say that there aren't too many of that kind of people around." Emma placed her hand on Henry's shoulder and smiled sadly.

"Thanks, Emma." he looked down on his watch and sighed. "I gotta go. I promised to stop by the station before heading back home. It was nice meeting you, Emma." he looked around but didn't see the brunette woman anywhere. "Will you please tell Roni I said bye, she seems to be busy." and with a promise from Emma the young man made his way out of the door.

Emma looked after him, feeling the same kind of feeling she had had when Henry told her about Lucy appearing behind his door. It made her rub her chest as it ached.

"Hey, you okay?" was asked behind her and upon turning around the familiar brown eyes met the green. There was concern swimming in those deep pools of chocolate.

"Yeah, yeah. Just had an... interesting conversation with Henry, that's all." Emma said and turned fully towards the bar.

"He told you about Lucy?" Roni guessed. There was something behind Emma's eyes when she mentioned Lucy's name. It almost looked like she was being haunted by something. "Emma, are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... odd." Emma was twisting the now empty glass around. "It seems like I know him from somewhere but I cannot for the life of me to place it."

"I know that feeling." Roni said quietly before clearing her throat. "So, how about another drink Miss Swan?"

"Miss Swan?" Emma was clearly confused and Roni couldn't really blame her, since she had no idea where the new name came from.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I have no idea how that popped into my head, I-" then she stopped and smiled. "Although it does fit, considering I found you by the swans today."

Emma rolled her eyes but a slight blush was creeping up her neck. There was something about Miss Swan that made her feel all giddy and warm, and having Roni connect this name to something that she herself loved so much filled her with happiness. Roni had a way about her, and she somehow knew exactly what to say or do.

"I might just take you up on your offer." Emma smiled and sat herself more firmly down on the barstool. She had nowhere else to be tonight and she wanted to spend as much of her time around the sweet bartender as she possibly could.

"Do you want the same one?" Roni asked, her hand hovering over a clean glass.

Emma looked up to the shelfs, thinking of what she was in a mood for. She had done her fare share of drinking and she did have a special liking to vodka and that's what she decided on only a minute later. Roni handed her a special craft accompanied with a dazzling smile and a small yellow umbrella.

There was yet another long eye contact that neither of them were in hurry to break. Emma didn't know how long they just stood there looking at each other but then there was a throat being cleared somewhere near by. That broke the connection with a splash.

Emma quickly looked down at the glass in front of her and Roni looked up at the man who has appeared at the bar. She greeted him with a smile and they shared a bit of small talk before the man leaned in closer to whisper something. Roni leaned in closer which was what caught Emma's attention. Something flared in her once more but she managed to push that to the ground. She followed the interaction from the corner of her eye all the while sucking the sweet drink from the straw that was conveniently in front of her face.

Roni handed the man a drink as he got comfortable on the other end of the bar. The glass had barely hit the counter when Roni had already moved back in front of Emma with a fresh dazzling smile. Emma didn't know what was going on but she knew she wanted to know. Hyperion Heights was really an interesting place, maybe a bit too interesting as her creative mind was running wild.

"What's on your mind?"

That roused Emma from her thoughts and she looked up at the curious eyes of the bartender. Suddenly she felt bold, bolder than probably ever before. Emma leaned closer, effectively closing the distance between them, so that there were space for only couple of breaths between them.

Roni was left breathless, completely taken aback by Emma's move and excited about what was to come. Her eyes were going back and forth between the vibrant green eyes and the pink, vodka moistened lips.

"I'm thinking about how there is… more to Hyperion Heights than I ever knew." Emma whispered lowering her voice just slightly, enjoying the effect she so clearly had on the other woman.

She wanted to kiss Roni. It was so obvious to her even when many things about her own sexuality definitely weren't. But there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted this more than anything else.

"I have come to the same conclusion." the deep chocolate eyes stared deep into the green and a genuine, sweet smile spread on the divine lips.

Emma was sure she would have gone through with leaning closer and sealing their lips together, if it had not been for the massive boom that happened right then. It made her nearly fall from her chair as she whipped around to see what caused it.

The man who had just arrived had fallen from his bar stool and was now laying on the floor, trying to breathe normally after the wind was clearly knocked out of him.

Roni rushed from behind the counter to help the man sit up, asking him was he alright. Emma didn't have time to be jealous as she was more curious after hearing was Roni was saying to the man.

"You should know better, Officer. I don't even know how that made you fall, that drink was nothing compared to what you have normally."

So this guy was a police officer. A bit strange and a rather embarrassing twist for the poor dude, but Emma couldn't help but find this somewhat funny. Yeah, Hyperion Heights was definitely her new favourite place.

Meanwhile Roni and some of the other patrons had helped the man up and he was finally breathing, granted more rapidly than one would normally breathe. He kept looking at Emma every turn he got, which made the blonde turn her back on him, feeling uncomfortable.

Roni returned behind the bar to give the officer a fresh glass of water, and after asking for the fourth time should she call a taxi for him, she returned to stand in front of Emma.

"What's his deal?" Emma couldn't help but to ask, giving a quick peek at the man.

"He is one of our police officers and lately, well…" Roni lowered her voice to make sure no one heard. "He has been going through a rough patch, looking for this girl that went missing years ago. It doesn't look good, never has. But it haunts him."

They both silently turned to look at the man, and now it was Emma's turn to nearly fall from the seat as the man was looking directly at her. It wasn't creepy - oh well, of course it was - but there was so much emotion swirling everywhere around the man.

Roni noticed it as well, as she looked back and forth between the two of them. Anger suddenly boiled out of nowhere, stronger and nastier than it had in a long while. Containing it seemed nearly impossible and she hurried away in order to calm herself.

She speed walked to the little outside area of her beautiful bar and leaned against the cold surface of the wall. Taking deep breaths, she closed her eyes willing the anger to go down. Her entire body was affected by the magnitude of the feeling she had just experienced, and she didn't want to dive in too deep water to figure out what had caused it.

She knew.

But it wasn't something she was too happy about. It actually made her nervous, even scared, because this was not an ordinary occurrence for her.

"Roni? Are you here?"

The voice roused Roni and made her press her entire being more tightly to the wall. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, least of all Emma who was the reason for her weird behaviour.

"There you are."

Too late though.

The green eyes appeared to the same height as the brown ones, Emma having to crouch down a little bit to be able to stand as tall as Roni.

"Hi."

The warm puff of air made goosebumps appear on Roni's skin and she was happy Emma was concentrated on her eyes, rather than the rest of her body. That being the first time anyone had ever really done that as her body was more of an attraction to other people than anything else.

"Are you okay? You just suddenly ran off." Emma didn't break the stare, not even for a second. "I thought you might have not been okay so and I tried to run after you, but I couldn't find you at first."

Roni could deny many other things but she couldn't deny the way her heart swelled up while listening to Emma talk. The blonde had been worried for her, she had gone out of her way to find her. And now she was trying to make sure everything was alright.

Damn her heart.

"I don't know what happened, but I suddenly needed some fresh air." Roni told the blonde, happily drowning in the green eyes. "But I'm alright, dear."

"That's what I wanted to hear." Emma smiled. "Come on, I will get you some water."

Without thinking much of it, Emma took a hold of Roni's hand and pulled the older woman with her back into the bar. Roni was too stunned to say anything or do anything other than follow the blonde who sat her down on the bar stool she herself usually sat on.

Emma didn't know where the sudden boldness to do all this came from, but she marched around the bar and looked for a glass to put the water in. She was well aware of the wide brown eyes following her every move, but she had already gone big so it was not the time to deflate now.

She eventually found the glasses she was looking for and filled it to the brim with cold water and set it in front of Roni, looking at her expectedly.

Roni had no choice but to drink, the cool liquid really making her feel so much better. She was trying to concentrate on drinking, using the time to gather her sass and wits because Emma had completely disarmed her tonight, in more ways than one.

And there was no way she was going to let Emma top her even when it was the most exciting thing to ever happen to her.

"Feeling better?" Emma smirked, when Roni put down the empty glass.

"Much." Roni smiled warmly because she really did appreciate Emma's help. "Thank you."

"No problem." Emma spread her arms on the bar top, looking around the semi filled bar. "It all looks so different from here. No wonder you wanted to open your own bar, this is amazing."

"Well, you do look downright near sinful standing there." Roni knew she caught Emma off guard as the pale skin turned a sweet shade of pink. "Would you mind serving me a drink?"

"What?" Emma was even more surprised. "For real?"

"Yes." Roni sat up straighter even when that was the last thing she was feeling right now. "Savior you definitely are, but let's see what else you got up your sleeve."

Emma knew this was a challenge and she was going to rise up to it. She confidently pulled up another glass and turned around to see the multiple liquors filling the wall behind the counter. She had her mind set on something she had once tried when she traveled to Europe, but she couldn't see the bottle she wanted.

At first.

She was no bartender by any means, but she knew what tickled her tastebuds when mixed. She turned to Roni with her arms full of bottles and set to work. She was happy there was no one requesting drinks or attention of any sort as she was free to work. So concentrated she was, that she completely missed the awe on Roni's face as she watched her work.

Roni had never seen a drink like the blonde was making but she was curious above all else and more than ready to taste what seemed to be a pink drink, matching the slight blush on Emma's cheeks.

"Here, try this." Emma said but before placing the drink in front of the brunette, she took few seconds to choose a colour of a straw and umbrella, adding few decorations too much to the drink. Using a coaster, she carefully placed the drink in front of Roni, before leaning forward excitedly.

Roni could feel her insides swell up, because seeing how excited the blonde was and how adorable the entire set up was, well, it seemed to simply be too much for her. None the less, her body worked enough to command her lips to move so she could grasp the blue straw between her red lips.

The taste of the drink was sweet, but to Roni's delight, not too much so, with a hint of Emma's spirit of choice, vodka. It was something she couldn't wait to taste again, so without waiting a second longer, she sucked even more of the liquid. Humming happily, she locked eyes with the expectant blonde.

"It's really delicious, Emma."

There was another hint of blush, making Emmas cheeks a perfect match for the drink she had just served. "Really?"

"Oh yes, and I wish you will teach me how to make one so I can start serving it." Roni winked, before holding up the drink towards Emma. "Please, share with me."

Emma's eyes went wide. Her eyes went back and forth between the straw and Roni's smile, not wanting to make the situation awkward but also not being sure did Roni want to share with her _like that_. One could never be sure how people meant things.

It was like Roni had heard her thoughts because she smiled almost evily and whispered. "It's only a straw, Miss Swan. We are big girls, we can share."

Emma tried to hide her embarrassment by hurrying to drink, and she could feel the sweet taste surround her. She too hummed happily, pleased that she had done well enough to please the bartender. She had been nervous, mostly because she was so bloody attracted to the other woman but also because this was her profession and every single drink she had ever had in Roni's was delicious.

"Any other hidden talents I should know about?" Roni smirked before taking another sip.

Emma liked the flirty atmosphere but she wasn't about the be a bottom, not to Roni, not to anyone. And it seemed awfully like Roni was winning the game they were subtly playing.

"Oh, plenty, believe me." Emma smirked, reaching for a shot glass she had seen earlier. She knew her choice when it came to alcohol but the bottle that had been by the counter when she had come in, was tequila. And she knew how to captivate someones attention.

Roni looked silently, but with her heart beating out of her chest, as Emma poured herself a generous shot of tequila, before licking her hand slowly and then sprinkling a bit of salt on it. Emma was delighted how well prepared Roni was because everything she needed for this shot was quite literally right there. She threw back a shot, licking the salt away and then sucking greedily in a lemon wedge.

Emma had her eyes closed but she could feel the brunette ones drilling into her very soul. She lowered the shot glass and opened her eyes.

Roni had previously played with the little umbrella Emma had stuck on her drink but now the little stick was in pieces and Roni's mouth was hanging open slightly. Her eyes were concentrated lower than Emmas face and the blonde felt like fist pumping as she realised that few drops of alcohol had escaped and were now traveling down her skin towards her boobs.

Heck yes, she was totally winning.

She then leaned on the counter, pushing herself closer to the brunette and asked innocently. "What?"

Roni was ready to throw the blonde down on the counter and take her then and there. Never had anyone enticed her the way this woman was right now and the blonde knew that. And anyone else who happened to look at them, because Roni had no ability to hide the lust from her face.

Emma smirked as Roni was unable to utter even one simple word. This was definitely going according to plan.

"Hey, beautiful, can I have one of those as well?"

Their magic was brutally destroyed by a man, who had walked to the bar. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was looking Emma up and down, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Emma rolled her eyes, disgusted but Roni was turning to look at him, ready to rip his head off.

"Excuse me?" Roni said and stood up. The man was much larger than her but that didn't stop the brunette woman. She didn't need physical height to intimidate this man, because the fire in her eyes alone made the man cower.

He took a step back and looked at Emma quickly, hopelessly checking if she would say something to help him. But Emma spared him no glance as her eyes were glued on the small brunette woman that was standing up for her.

"What did you just say to her?" Roni knew she was being slightly irrational as the comment hadn't been as bad as the sleazy attitude, but she was angry. Yes, she wasn't together with Emma, but this had been their moment, and he had been the one to interrupt her before she had been able to make a move. And she was jealous, even when she knew Emma would never respond to sleazy advances like the one this man had just made.

"I'm sorry, I just came here to get a drink." the man lifted her hands up, trying to create some space between them.

"It seems to me," Roni gritted out. "that you came for a hell of a lot more than that." her eyes were fiery and she knew that, which made her smile evily because the man looked genuinely scared of her.

"No, no. Just a drink." the man uttered.

Roni rounded the bar and reached past Emma for a shot glass. She poured a healthy amount of tequila in it before calmly pushing it towards the man who was still looking at her warily. He took the drink and downed it. Without saying another word, he turned around and rushed towards the door.

Roni felt victorious and she could feel a massive grin spread on her face. It was so good to be bad sometimes.

She could feel Emma staring at her and only then did she realise their bodies were pressed against each other. A chill ran through her but it was definitely the good kind, the kind that made your entire being heat up.

Emma could feel the chills shake the smaller woman, who was pressed to her side. The brunette was looking at her and in this moment, Emma just wanted to swoop in and kiss her senseless. But even through her hazy brain, she realised that she wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding here. It seemed unlikely, but she really liked Roni and she didn't want to screw anything up.

"It seems," Emma had to clear her throat, because that was how breathless she felt. "that you might have lost a customer there."

Roni found it adorable how awkward Emma was, because it was clear that she was nervous. The brunette couldn't help but to feel the same way, because she knew Emma was something special, and she didn't want to ruin it somehow.

Instead of starting a deep and premature conversation, Roni decided that it was time to cut the crap and games, and show Emma how she felt.

Turning fully towards the blonde, Roni pressed her front to Emma's, capturing the younger woman between her and the counter. Placing both of her hands on Emma's waist, she leaned her face closer so their noses were touching.

Surprisingly enough, Emma was breathing calmly, smiling just the tiniest of bits. She had been nervous before but it all felt so… natural. Their bodies moulded perfectly together, like they had been created together, to fit. And even with her heeled boots, Roni was shorter than Emma which gave the blonde the otherworldly chance to gaze down upon the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen.

Encouraged by the comfort, she lifted her own arms around Roni's shoulders and neck, sighing happily. This was such a good place to be.

Roni couldn't wait any longer, as she wanted to slowly devour the woman pressed against her. It didn't matter that they were in a almost full bar, it didn't matter that Roni was at work, and that everyone could definitely see them. None of it mattered. Just them.

Their lips were almost touching, both women letting their eyes slip shut.

It was a ghost of a contact, so light you couldn't even say for sure had it happened or not.

"REGINA!"


End file.
